Mainmast in distress

[John Allen]

Need assistance, the uppermost part of the mainmast had been damaged twice by cats. The first time I replaced that portion of the mast. The second time not having any dowels I placed a small diameter brass pin in the base  of the mast and drilled a hole resetting that portion of mast. 

 

Now my dilemma (see pic) I had just finished some rigging from foremast and mainmast to port side chain plates. when I hit a lamp loosening my last repair. It all ready has a pin, it's only held in place by rigging and a tine bit of mast that had not completely broken.

I thought of sistering the base of the broken mast portion to the mainmast with maybe 2x2mm piece of walnut, which would stand out like a sore thumb, brace the bottom with a collar of 2 u shaped pieces of 1.5x3mm walnut, or trying to complete the rigging for the port side of the topmost portion of the mainmast to chain plates hoping that will pull all  back into place.

 

If all this does not work I am faced with cutting a lot of rigging and reshaping and installing that portion of mast, and after redoing all my shroud and ratlines twice am not looking forward to this considering I am 90% finished.

Someone please make my day. 

 

 

 

[JerseyCity Frankie]

I would replace the entire Topmast. Just cut out the old one and make a new one. This is the third time your mast has suffered damage so I would make the new mast as strong as possible by pre-drilling and pinning it at its base with the longest metal pin I could manage to insert. Note though that an unbreakable Topmast is just going to make something  adjacent break when a force is applied to it. If you glued on your standing rigging with white glue you should be able to soften it again with alcohol. If you can get the eyes of the standing rigging off, you will be able to insert the new spar right back into those eyes. Soak a cotton ball in alcohol and pin it over the rigging with a clothes pin and keep it saturated with alcohol, the glue will give up and let go after a few hours- depending on how thick it is.  This technique could blow up in your face though if it also softens the glue holding the eyes together. You could paint the splices with acrylic paint before you apply the alcohol? Maybe that would keep the solvent off the parts you don't want to let go? If you used super glue you could try the same technique with nail polish remover but I have never tried the cotton ball trick against cyano and do not know how it would work.

Edited August 14, 2016 by JerseyCity Frankie

[John Allen]

I rarely use super glue and use watered down white elmer's on all rigging, blocks and eyes. It will take time but in the long run I agree the 3 quickies I mentioned would probably lead to more serious problems, since I am closing in on the finish do not want another hiccup at the end causing worse problems.

 

Thanks for your advice it is greatly appreciated.

[druxey]

Solution? Replace the cats.

 

Seriously, could you consolidate the problem area by realigning the mast and infiltrating with either CA or epoxy?

[John Allen]

No to weak, did that the first time, the second time mast totally severed reattached drilling a hole and used a brass pin to anchor. This time wood is to weak I thought of gluing, sistering which would look really bad or 2 have moon bases which would look bad (always looking for the shortcut) but won't work this time.

 

Thanks for the response, have tried covertly to eliminate the felines but mamas babies.

[druxey]

Then I suppose the only solution is to unrig and replace the mast. Unfortunate, but....

[John Allen]

Druxey,

 

As we speak have made a new mast painted and pinned the bottom, have drilled a hole in the cap to add stability to the mast in addition to the pin. Learned a valuable lesson should have replaced the mast after the first or even the second break before the rigging was added. Shortcuts are nice but this one cost me time and I lost all impetus. This wasn't the first time all three decks were warped (ebay model my daughter bought they must have had it in the attic) instead of cutting new decks (I had the wood) I tried to steam and flatten those provided. Bad idea If you examine the decks really close it is apparent. Thankfully the average person will not be able to tell.

 

Enough of my whine got a good attitude rigging will be redone this date and I can move forward without the help of a Xanax.

[gjdale]

Good decision John - you won't regret that additional effort and time.

[John Allen]

As you know we have had this discussion before aka ratlines-shrouds-twice. I advised someone on this site who was having trouble with the placement of blocks and eyes and plans were.

 

I advised a modeler told me when I was having those same problems always read ahead always, somethings show up early and cause problems and then later in the plans assemblies pop up that should have been placed in the beginning always read ahead especially with foreign makers and translation problems. That happened to be you and that advice saved me a lot of grief.

 

Thanks for your support

[druxey]

Good call! Now, about them cats....

[John Allen]

Sushi